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“O Wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, that has such people in’t.” – The Tempest
We are wonders of creation. We are capable of the most sublime and beautiful art, but also of the most hideous acts of cruelty. This is what differentiate us and set us apart from other creatures here on Earth. Yes, we can be “goodly creatures” and “beauteous” – and it would certainly take a new world order.
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“Lust is but a bloody fire, kindled with unchaste desire, fed in heart, whose flames aspire as thoughts do blow them, higher and higher. – The Merry Wives of Windsor
Whether we are talking about love, lust, or something else, what is in our thoughts feed our hearts. If you think it much, it is deposited in your heart and becomes part of you, of what you believe, of who you are. It shapes you, your immediate surroundings, and eventually your reality.
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“If music be the food of love, play on; give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, the appetite may sicken, and so die.” – Twelfth Night or What You Will
The affairs of the heart – Love. Our actions – good or bad – revolve around it. We die for love, do good deeds for love, suffer for love, live for love, and kill in the name of love. Whether the concept of Love we have is right or wrong, or even a sick perception of it, many times, the result is a denial of the true essence of Love (as in the case of crimes of passion).
This month we are celebrating Love. One of my favorite definitions of Love can be found at 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.
It goes like this – Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
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“Lord, what fools these mortals be.” – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
One just ought to look around; but as fools as we might be, we are also capable of greatness, of beauty, of art, of soulful awe, of kind deeds, of self-less sacrifices, of loving deeds, of creativity. And that is how we cannot deny our divine traces.
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“Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage.” (Twelfth Night, or What You Will)
This one made me smile. Although it refers to a hanging as punishment, and in the context of Shakespeare’s play, it made me think about the small issues in a marriage. The economic meltdown in the country affected many families and brought the best and bad in us. So, what prevents a bad marriage and promotes a good one? A good hanging – well, let’s not get scared here, metaphorically speaking.
There are many little issues that we keep inside to ourselves and eat away our spirits, our love, our marriage. Maybe it would be a good idea to do a symbolical hanging of all the small issues that we carry on the inside, and expose them, hang them, or hang them to dry if you must, let the sunshine lighten the load, and work them out with your love one.
“He hath a heart as sound as a bell and his tongue is the clapper; for what his heart thinks his tongue speaks.” – Much Ado About Nothing
Love it! Our bells ring of love, hate, joy, sadness, passion, hurt, envy, anger, awe, spirit … What ever melody we play inside, notes play on the outside. Might as well become instruments for good, praise, and the highest Love. In the end, the music we send out vibrates back to us.
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“But be not afraid of greatness; some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon ’em.” (Twelfth Night, or What You Will)
This one is a very popular line and we have heard it a lot. What I like about it is that it makes greatness accessible to all. Despite our doubts and fears, we all have greatness in us – if we could only let it thru, let it shine. We are works of art by a Creator of all things (my personal belief) and most times, we forget about that.
We mesmerize while observing works of art at a Museum, while reading a poem, or a brilliant piece; however, we don’t do the same when we look in a mirror. Why is that? It puzzles me too. Maybe it is because in failing to recognize this greatness we protect ourselves from being afraid of it, from letting it out – from stepping up to the plate and becoming great.
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“The quality of mercy is not strain’d, it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven, upon the place beneath: it is twice bless’d; it blesseth him that gives and him that takes.” (The Merchant of Venice)
Mercy – The definition of mercy according to the American Heritage Dictionary
Are we merciful with ourselves or do we beat ourselves up with self-criticism about our lives and work? Whether we are the ones who take or give, mercy knows no difference. However, it is up to us to look inside and understand the part that takes and the part that gives, and upon that understanding we might be able then, to be more merciful to ourselves. It is then, that Creativity will flow.
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“If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?” (The Merchant of Venice)
I love this one a lot; it is full of emotion and force. My interpretation out of context – Many things happen to us throughout our lifetime, sometimes not so good things. Life is short or life is long, we never know until it is taken from us and we have to move on to other pastures. However, we can learn to pick our battles, to react to what truly matters. Many times, we lose precious time fighting or worrying about silly things,or about aggravations that do not deserve our time and concern. I have learned to value my time on this planet, and to pick my battles.
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“Speak low, if you speak love.” (Much Ado About Nothing)
This one certainly made me think. Most times, when we are happily in love we want to scream it to the world. We are so happy that we want to announce it. Although, this is just a line that one of the characters was saying to another, and in tune with the scene, it makes you ponder a different meaning.
Sometimes, we are not so demonstrative of our love, but that does not diminish it. We are “speaking low” the language of love. Sometimes, a gentle and sweet demonstration of love and affection is just what we need. Love has many frequencies.
Inkspeare 